Title: Parenting Errors: How to Solve Them
Author: Dr. Kerby T. Alvy
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 9781543430103
Pages: 132
Genre: Family & Relationships / Parenting
Reviewed by: Ella Vincent
Pacific Book Review Star
Awarded to Books of Excellent Merit
Parenting Errors: How to Solve Them is a perceptive and helpful guide to assist parents and caregivers by child psychologist’s Dr. Kerby T. Alvy, offering solutions for harried parents to calmly deal with the unpredictable behaviors of their children.
Parenting Errors details the mistakes parents often make when raising children. Alvy notes how parents should not be too lenient nor too authoritative with kids to make the most impact. Alvy advocates when parents make mistakes, they should take action to correct those actions in a productive way. Parenting Errors has useful steps that parents can take; such as to apologizing to children when they’re wrong. He also advocates progressive parenting tips such as talking to a child to resolve a conflict together. Alvy’s advice is common sense advice any wise parent should have no problem in assimilating. He adds statements of positive reinforcement which parents can recite to their children in frequent situations, such as during a child’s temper tantrums. Parents can easily apply the clearly written advice, step-by-step to any tough parenting situation.
Though Parenting Errors has script-like sentences parents can literally recite to kids, the book also addresses special parenting circumstances. In a refreshing change from other parental advice books, Alvy addresses the different challenges faced by parents of color and how they were raised with more authoritarian parenting with corporal punishment. He wants minority parents to break the cycle of harsh parenting and embrace more non-violent resolutions to correct a child’s misbehavior. He delves into the complicated history of African-American parenting since slavery with great sensitivity. Despite the past, Alvy advocates that African-American parents counteract the ugly legacy of corporal punishment in parenting dating back to slavery with positive affirmations to their children about Black pride.
Parenting Errors would be best for parents and caregivers who are dealing with troublesome toddlers or rebellious teenagers. Fans of modern parenting advice books such as The Conscious Parent by Shefali Tsabary would love Alvy’s expertise as well. Even old-school parents who want to maintain control over their children will like the advice Alvy dispenses about how to admit their parenting mistakes to their kids while still exercising parental authority.
Parents who want to openly communicate with their kids will also appreciate the advice of Parenting Errors and can share the text with other parents in book clubs. This book would make a perfect gift for parents-to-be as well as current parents who may need a bit of extra guidance. Additionally, Alvy’s book would be great for child psychologists who want to study the best current psychological methods to help parents and children. Parenting Errors: How To Fix Them is an insightful text that will help parents overcome mistakes to become the best parents they can be, resulting in having the best children they can have also.
